


In Sickness

by carinascott



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Community: avengerkink, M/M, Multi, Prompt Fic, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-10
Updated: 2012-08-10
Packaged: 2017-11-11 20:18:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/482523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carinascott/pseuds/carinascott
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Bruce is sick it's up to his lovers to care for him. Steve is up for the job. Tony? Not so much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Sickness

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to this [prompt](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/8247.html?thread=18361143#t18361143) found over at [](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/profile)[**avengerkink**](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/).

** In Sickness **

It had been a long time since Bruce had felt this particular brand of misery. Most of his aches, pains, and general misery came in the wake of changing back from the Hulk. But as the Avengers hadn't been called in for any major baddies in about two weeks, he knew this particular set of aches and pains, and general all over suffering likely had more to do with something a little more mundane than a giant green rage monster.

He was sick. And by the feel of things it was probably the flu, or at the very least a cold.

Bruce sighed miserably as he shifted under the blankets, feeling a slight chill run through his body. He hadn't really been sick since the Hulk had become a more visible part of his life. Bruce had assumed that the Hulk protected him from illness much in the same way he protected Bruce from any external threats. In his more introspective moments, half out of his mind with need for sleep, he imagined giant green phagocytes trolling around his immune system looking for bacteria and the such that needed smashing. Thus, he hadn't had more than a minor case of allergies since the gamma radiation incident.

Apparently, however strong Hulk was, eventually even he couldn't fight off everything. The thought scared him a little more than it probably should've, given they were talking about a flu rather than an outside attack. But Bruce was pretty quick on the uptake, so it wasn't hard for him to see the parallels, to see that it was more than likely that much like this internal battle, eventually Hulk would come up against an external enemy that even he wouldn't be able to defeat.

Shaking off those thoughts, Bruce slowly sat up in the bed, body protesting his every movement. Sighing tiredly, Bruce scrubbed a hand over his face before standing and sliding his feet into his slippers. Grabbing his robe he tied it securely, bypassing a morning shower for the moment, unsure if he could make it through without falling. Using what little energy he had left after the arduous task of getting out of bed, he shuffled out of the room and down the hall towards the kitchen. He wasn't surprised to find his lovers there, Tony gorging on coffee, Steve at the stove preparing breakfast as he insisted on doing every morning, knowing that Bruce and Tony were happy to subsist on coffee alone if given a choice.

Taking a seat next to Tony at the breakfast bar, Bruce sighed once more, placing his head in his hands. He felt like crap, the little energy he'd had flagging with every passing moment. Mumbling, eyes closed against the slight glare of the overhead light, Bruce offered a half hearted greeting to his lovers, "Good morning."

Tony, unsurprisingly, was the first to notice that Bruce wasn't up to par. "You look like shit. You're not sick are you?"

Bruce chose not to answer. He'd never much cared for being sick as a child, and his father certainly hadn't liked the inconvenience of caring for him when he was sick, so for the most part he'd simply suffered through his sicknesses as a kid without bringing any undue attention to himself. Bruce opened his eyes, glancing over to see that Tony was still gawking at him. He yawned into his hand. How could he be so tired after just waking up?

Steve turned to look at Bruce more closely, face softening with concern, "You do look a little under the weather Bruce; how are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

Steve frowned, "You don't sound it. Maybe you're coming down with something. Let me get you some orange juice." Before he could protest, not that he would and ruin Steve's desire to take care of his lovers; Steve had grabbed a large glass from the cabinet before heading over to the fridge to fill the glass with juice. Bruce's stomach clenched as Steve brought it over to him, and he wondered for a moment if he'd be able to keep it down, but he knew the vitamin C would do him some good. Besides, Steve seemed very concerned and Bruce didn’t want to disappoint him or cause him any additional worry about Bruce's health. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Think you can handle some eggs? Is your stomach bothering you?"

"I'll take toast. Don't wanna risk it."

"Sure thing."

Bruce took a drink of the juice, sighing happily as the cool liquid seemed to cool his overheated body. And he knew without a doubt now that he was indeed ill. He'd just been shivering beneath blankets a moment ago in the bedroom and now his body was hot, feverishly so.

Feeling Tony's eyes on him, Bruce turned to look at the other man. "Yes?"

"You're not contagious are you?"

"Tony!" Steve glared at their lover, disappointment written all over his face.

"What? I just don't wanna catch anything!"

"You don't have to be a jerk about it. Bruce is sick, it would be nice if you focused on that more than worrying about getting sick yourself."

Tony at least looked appropriately chastened when he turned back to Bruce. "I'm sorry Bruce, I just... I don't handle sickness well."

"It's okay Tony." It wasn't, not really, but Bruce didn't like being the cause of that disgruntled look on Tony's face. "So, what are you planning to do today?" Bruce figured steering Tony's attentions towards whatever project he was currently working on would take the attention off of him.

"Nothing much, still running a few tests on the suit and testing out a few new materials."

"Do you need some help?"

"No! I-I mean no, that's okay. You're not feeling good, and it’s probably best to keep the germs confined to one area." Bruce winced at that.

"Really Tony? Are you seriously this insensitive? Forget about your precious suit for one damn second and focus on the fact that Bruce is sick."

Bruce knew that Steve was truly pissed if he was cursing. It wasn't that the other man didn't ever curse, he'd been in the military after all; he just tended to refrain from it in the presence of women and only slipped up when he was well and truly pissed.

"It's okay Steve. I had no plans to go into the lab today anyway. Not really up to it." It was a lie, but Bruce didn't like to be the cause of friction between his lovers, however unintentional. Besides, he was feeling worse and worse the longer he sat here so it was probably best for all concerned if he went back to bed. "As a matter of fact, I think I'm gonna head back to bed. I think some more sleep would do me good."

"Are you sure?" Steve didn't look too convinced, but seemed willing to at least let the matter go for the moment. At Bruce's nod, he relented. "Well, at least take the juice and toast. Eat and drink what you can. I'll check on you in a bit, okay?"

"Okay." Bruce accepted the soft kiss that Steve gave him, smiling even though a part of him wished Tony would do the same, before grabbing his glass of juice and the plate of lightly buttered toast Steve held out to him. He slowly made his way back to their bedroom, grateful that Steve didn't try to accompany him. Steve was a nurturer at heart, always looking for ways to help, so Bruce knew that the other man likely wanted to assist him to his room, even if the help wasn't needed. But Tony's attitude had bothered him a bit more than he liked to acknowledge, and he really didn't want to be more of a bother to his lovers than absolutely necessary.

Reaching the bedroom, Bruce quietly finished his juice and toast before placing the glass and plate on the night stand, and climbing into bed. Sleep claimed him in minutes.

\----

"Jarvis, could you please keep me apprised of any undue changes in Dr. Banner's vitals?"

"Yes, Captain. At the moment his body temperature is slightly elevated, reading at 99.5 degrees. I'll inform you of any other changes."

"Thank you, Jarvis."

"You are welcome, Captain Rogers."

"Is that really necessary? It’s probably just a cold."

Steve rolled his eyes, "Yes, Tony, it is necessary." Steve tried not to take his anger out on Tony, but the memories of his pretty constant health problems before Dr. Erskine and his serum kept playing in his mind and Tony's blasé attitude about the whole thing was irritating him.

"I thought he couldn't get sick."

"Well, apparently he can. Even Hulk isn't immune to everything."

"Unlike you."

Steve turned, quirking a brow, "What?"

"Well, you're the super soldier and all. So I'm sure you don't get sick. But the rest of us do. So, I know you think I'm being an insensitive prick and all, but I don't want to get sick."

"Contrary to popular belief, I do know what it’s like to be sick. I can't get sick now, but that doesn't mean I don't know what it feels like." Turning back to the omelet he was preparing, Steve continued, "Besides, I don't think you're being insensitive because you don't want to get sick. No one wants to get sick. Not even Bruce. It would just be nice if you'd consider how crappy he must feel right now and how your attitude isn't helping."

Tony didn't respond and Steve didn't expect him too. He knew Tony wasn't intentionally being uncaring, understood that Tony tended to speak first and think of the consequences later. But that didn't excuse his behavior and Bruce neither deserved nor needed it. Flipping the omelet onto a plate, Steve cut it in half and placed one half on another plate. He added a few slices of bacon and toast to each plate and took them over to the breakfast bar, sliding one plate across to Tony.

They ate in companionable silence for a while, before Tony spoke up. "I'm sorry."

Steve looked at his lover, a soft smile of understanding on his lips. "I know. You might wanna tell Bruce that though."

"Yeah, I will. And, just so you know, I'll probably need to apologize a few more times before it’s all said and done. I have this thing with germs; I don't know what you call it, don’t know if there’s a real name for it. But Pepper was pretty much ready to skin me alive every time she was sick. Called me rude and a few other unflattering names whenever she was sick and I was my usual charming self."

Steve gave Tony's words some thought, wondering why the other man had such an intense desire to stay free of germs. Sure, no one wanted to get sick but Tony seemed a little more fearful about it than most.

It wasn't until Steve was clearing away their dishes, Tony helping him stack the dishwasher that the other man spoke up, "It wasn't like this before." When Steve looked at him Tony gestured to the arc reactor in explanation.

"But now?"

"Now I just feel...........vulnerable, I guess. Outside attacks, I can handle those. But internal attacks, bacteria, things that I can't see? Those scare the hell outta me. And so when I'm near someone that's sick, I just react without thinking. Not an excuse, at least not a good one, but it’s the only explanation I've got."

Steve understood, as much as he could having never been in Tony's shoes; Tony's reactions were more instinctual than anything else. Still, they could come off as hurtful and he needed Tony to understand that.

"I don't think Bruce has ever been sick since the Hulk came out. It wasn't mentioned in any files I've read at least. So it’s possible that, whether he's showing it or not, he could be feeling a little vulnerable too. Not to mention miserable. Because being sick is never fun."

Steve watched Tony squint as he set the dishwasher before straightening up and looking at Steve, "So, what do you think I can do to make it up to him?"

"Is your project time sensitive?"

Tony frowned, "No. Why?"

"I think we should just focus on Bruce today. Make sure he's as comfortable as possible. Whatever he needs."

Tony gave it some thought and remained silent for a few moments. Finally, "Okay. Promise to kick me in the ass when I say something outta line?"

Steve laughed, "Promise."

"Okay." Steve smiled into the kiss Tony gave him, before following the other man down the hall towards their bedroom to check on their ill lover.

\----

Bruce was a blanket hog and Tony was freezing his balls off. It had been three days since Bruce first became ill, and while Jarvis' readings assured them that the doctor was getting better, it was going too slow for Tony's tastes.

Jarvis had been cycling the temperature between Antarctica and Hell over the last few days to combat Bruce's discomfort and Tony had suffered silently in the interim. Well, mostly silently. He was Tony Stark after all. It wasn't in his nature to be silent for too long.

But this was the last straw.

"Brrruuuucceee! You can't have all of the blankets. I've got a serious case of blue balls over here and it isn't for lack of sex!"

Bruce grumbled sleepily, "But I'm cold."

"I am too!" Tony sighed heavily as Bruce sniffled miserably, his eyes bloodshot and his nose running. Tony did his best not to cringe away, thoughts of germs and such pushed to the back of his mind; he'd promised Steve that he'd be more sensitive. Somehow he was certain mentioning that Bruce looked like he belonged in a psych ward right now wasn't being sensitive. Still, he was freezing and he refused to budge on that point.

Sitting up, Tony looked around in the semi dark room. "Jarvis, light!"

The lights flickered on, thankfully not to full capacity as even though Tony was being an ass, his AI was smart enough to know that the sudden brightness would be hell on their eyes. Go figure, a smart AI.

"Steve!" Tony bellowed, wondering where their wayward lover was. Steve lumbered into the room a few moments later, a steaming mug in both hands.

"You yelled?" Steve asked with a bemused expression, rounding the bed and taking a seat in the vacant space next to Bruce.

"We need you. Or, more precisely, your human furnace of a body. We're freezing and Bruce is hogging all the blankets."

"Tony-"

Tony huffed, "Yes, I know he's sick." Tony ran a soothing hand through Bruce's hair, frowning because he really did hate seeing Bruce so miserable. "But neither of us can sleep if we're freezing and you radiate heat like a freaking fireplace, so we need you sleeping in between us, keeping us warm."

"Nice to know I'm needed," Steve commented, offering one mug each to one of his lovers. Tony accepted his, frowning at the taste. "Tea? Seriously?"

Steve stood up, stripping off his sweatpants and standing unselfconsciously in his sinfully tight boxers, "Yes Tony. It’s chamomile. Given that it’s about 2am, I figured it was a better option that coffee."

Tony didn't necessarily agree, but took another sip all the same.

Bruce shifted on the bed, sitting up more so that he could drink the tea without spilling it. "How did you know to make us tea?"

"You two have spent the last hour fighting over the blankets in your sleep so I figured you'd wake eventually." Steve walked down towards the foot of the bed, holding up a thick blanket that Tony hadn't noticed. "So, while the tea was brewing I went down to my old bedroom and grabbed this blanket. I never really used it much, since as Tony already said I'm pretty much a furnace on my own, but I thought one of you could use it."

Tony frowned; he didn't want his own blanket. As much as he'd been bitching, he still wanted to share with Steve and Bruce. He was just about to express as much, but Bruce spoke up first.

"I don't want my own blanket, I like sharing with the two of you."

Steve looked confused, "But I thought you were cold?"

Tony answered, "We are. But we still prefer sharing." Sleeping under his own blanket reminded him of the solitary nights he'd spent in his too big bed, long before he had Steve and Bruce to share his space with.

"How about a compromise? We'll all share, but we'll still use both blankets. And I'll sleep in the middle so both of you stay warm."

Tony and Bruce smiled, "Agreed."

After finishing their tea and letting Steve fuss over both of them until he was satisfied they were both comfortable, Bruce and Tony settled down, drifting into warm, peaceful sleep with Steve resting comfortably between them.

\---

Bruce woke up with a contented sigh, feeling better than he had in days. Smiling, he blinked open sleepy eyes, looking at the two men sprawled next to him. Steve was fast asleep on his back, Tony curled over him, +chest a wet patch of drool pooled on Steve's chest were Tony's mouth was parted. At some point in the night both Steve and Tony had kicked off the blankets, the warmth getting to them in spite of Tony's mid morning complaints.

Bruce had never seen a more perfectly imperfect sight.

He'd been miserable these last few days, but Steve and Tony had been wonderful to him. Steve's attention hadn't been all that surprising; the other man was a natural mother hen. He looked after his people, be it his mates in combat, his team as part of the Avengers, or his lovers. He took care of whatever and whomever he considered his and Bruce knew he was lucky to be considered that, twofold.

Tony, on the other hand, had been surprising. After a rather hectic start, Tony had come to him, explaining his own fears over germs and illness. After the rather frank discussion, Bruce had understood him a lot better and hadn't taken his abruptness to heart. And Tony, for his part, had dug in with his heels and turned out to be a rather astute caregiver. He'd been on hand just as eagerly and constantly as Steve, irritating at times in their mothering, but appreciated nonetheless.

And now Bruce was feeling better if not completely 100%.

Sitting up in the bed, Bruce stood up slowly, taking stock of any aches or pains. There weren't many, and the few there were he was certain would be alleviated with a nice, hot shower.

Stripping in the quiet of the room, the only noise a rustle of clothing and the soft breaths of his sleeping lovers, Bruce gathered his discarded clothing and headed towards the on suite bathroom for a much needed shower.

*

Bruce smiled as he looked down at his lovers, both of their chests heaving as they came down from their orgasms. Licking his lips like the cat that got the cream, very accurate in this case, Bruce sat back, slowly stroking his own erection.

Steve's eyes were locked on the motion of his hand, unconsciously licking his own lips as Bruce's hand continued its slow stroke. Tony's eyes were focused as well, but they darted between Bruce's hand on his cock and the long fingers filling Bruce's ass.

Bruce continued pleasuring himself for a few more minutes before his lovers moved at once, pouncing on him. Tony's own fingers breached his body, replacing Bruce's fingers and setting up a wonderful steady pace. Steve's mouth was like a furnace around his cock, hot and impossibly good. Bruce moaned low in his throat, giving himself over to the care of his lovers, trusting them to take care of him as they always had.

Tony chuckled lowly, the tenor of it making Bruce's nerve ending tingle. "Someone's feeling better, I see."

"Yes," Bruce moaned in agreement; then in encouragement as Tony's fingers stroked his prostate and Steve's mouth sucked deliciously around the head of his cock, "Yes!"

Bruce reached out blindly, threading his fingers in Steve's hair imploring him to continue, eyes rolling back in his head as the other man moaned around his cock sending waves of pleasure through his body.

Tony shifted his angle just slightly, but it was perfect, causing each thrust of his fingers into Bruce's ass to rub against his prostate.

Bruce felt the white hot pleasure of orgasm rippling up his spine and before he could warn either of them he was coming with a force he hadn't felt in a long time, if ever.

Tony didn't stop fingering him, pulling every bit of come from him, and Steve, bless him, swallowed every drop.

Panting, and very much in need of another shower, Bruce couldn't move. His lovers joined him at the end of the bed, curling around him and petting him as he came down from his orgasm.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Steve mumbled, kissing Bruce's bare shoulder.

Bruce smiled, twining his fingers with Tony's and resting his head on Steve's chest, "Me too."

**THE END**  



End file.
